VfB Stuttgart stays on top

Werder Bremen's Fabian Ernst, left, FC Koeln's Sebastian Helbig, center, and Werder Bremen's Malden Krstajic battle during their match in Cologne, Saturday. PHOTO: AFP

High-flying VfB Stuttgart and goalie Timo Hildebrand remained unscored upon Saturday, staying atop the Bundesliga by blasting 1860 Munich 3-0.

The league's youngest team, still surprising the German league with its success, ran its Bundesliga record to seven matches without yielding a goal to start the season.

Hildebrand is now just 68 minutes short of the overall 803 scoreless minutes set by Bayern's Oliver Kahn last season.

"I don't care about the record, I'm just happy we won," said Hildebrand, who had a quiet day between the posts with his defenders in complete control.

The south German club, which has a date with Manchester United next week in the Champions League, remained one point clear in the table over Werder Bremen and Leverkusen on a beautiful soccer-friendly day across the league.

The table remained tight with Stuttgart (5-2-0) at 17 points, followed by Bremen and Leverkusen with 16, Bayern, 14, and Dortmund 13.

Stuttgart wasn't the only top team that was impressive, with Bremen thrashing Cologne 4-1 and Leverkusen showing poise in a 1-0 win against Wolfsburg.

Two other decimated favorites didn't play pretty, but pulled out the win they needed. Bayern needed an 86th minute score from Dutch striker Roy Makaay, already their man for crucial goals, to edge Hansa Rostock 2-1.

Bayern was playing with eight missing men, while Dortmund's squad has an epidemic of injuries but came through with a 1-0 win against Freiburg on Brazilian forward Ewerthon's shot that scraped inside the post.

Freiburg coach Volke Finke was agitated as his crew dominated Dortmund but saw its five-match unbeaten streak end.

"That goal was a complete surprise. It was the result of an individual effort," Finke said.

Moenchengladbach and Bochum split 2-2 and Germany forward Miroslav Klose's injury time goal lifted Kaiserslautern past Hannover 1-0.

Stuttgart's defenders, already playing first-rate at the back, this time led the attack with Zvonimir Soldo scoring in the 12th and Fernando Meira converting from the spot five minutes later. Belarus midfielder Alexander Hleb completed the rout in the 50th.

Stuttgart shocked the league last year by turning to its youth system for players because of financial problems, then soaring to second.